1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an anchoring system for securing a medical article to a patient and, in particular, to an anchoring system for securing a medical article to a patient to inhibit movement or migration of the medical article relative to the patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common in health care settings to attach medical articles to the skin of patients to facilitate their treatment. For example, catheters are often used to introduce fluids and medications directly into the patient or to withdraw fluids from the patient. Other catheters may be used to perform certain types of medical procedures and diagnostic analysis. One example of a typical catheter is an intra-aortic balloon (IAB) catheter, which is used to assist the heart in delivering oxygen.
Catheters often remain in place for many days. In order to secure the catheter in position at the insertion site, the healthcare worker often secures the catheter to the patient using tape. That is, the healthcare worker commonly places long pieces of tape across the portion of the catheter near the insertion site in a crisscross pattern to secure the catheter to the patient's skin. This securement inhibits disconnection between the catheter and the insertion site, and also prevents the catheter from snagging on the bed rail or other objects.
Tape, however, often collects dirt and other contaminants. Normal protocol therefore requires periodic (e.g., daily) tape changes to inhibit bacteria and germ growth at the securement site. These frequent tape changes often excoriate the patient's skin. Additionally, valuable time is spent by healthcare workers applying and reapplying the tape. Because many healthcare workers find the taping procedure cumbersome and difficult to accomplish when wearing gloves, they often remove their gloves when taping. Not only does this increase the amount of time spent on the taping procedure, but it also subjects the healthcare worker to an increased risk of infection. Moreover, even if healthcare workers remain gloved, contact between the adhesive surface of the tape and the latex gloves can cause micro-holes in the gloves, subjecting the healthcare worker to possible infection.
A variety of catheter securement devices have been developed to obviate the need for frequent application of tape to secure a catheter to a patient. One such securement device provides a flexible clamp with winged extensions that are sutured to the patient's skin. In some applications, the winged extensions are integrally formed with the catheter. In other applications, the flexible clamp is covered by a rigid fitting (e.g., a box clamp), which receives the catheter/clamp combination in a friction-fit manner. The rigid fitting and flexible clamp are formed with lateral, aligned holes, which allow the combination to be sutured to the patient's skin. Although these suturing devices function to attach the catheter to the patient, it is obviously painful and uncomfortable for the patient. These devices are also time consuming and inconvenient to secure, pose the risk of needle-stick to the health care provider, and risk suture-site infection to the patient.
In addition, suture material tends to exhibit poor gripping on medical tubes and can cut through the winged extension of the flexible clamp if a rigid clamp is not used. However, the use of a rigid fitting complicates the securement procedure by adding yet another component that can be dropped on the floor and become unsterile. In addition, the sutured securement of the flexible clamp and/or the rigid fitting assembly does not permit easy release of the catheter from the patient for dressing changes and insertion site cleaning. A removal instrument (e.g., sterile scissors) also is generally required for suture removal.
Rather than suturing lateral, aligned holes to a patient's skin, other catheter securement devices provide an adhesive layer or resilient band interposed between the flexible clamp and the patient's skin. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,342,317; 5,084,026; 4,449,975; and 4,250,880. Many of these securement devices, however, suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages: are time consuming and inconvenient to secure; have multiple parts, which can be dropped and become unsterile; and require removal instruments (e.g., hemostat or scissors) to disengage the catheter from the securement device.
Additionally, no standard exists regarding spacing of the lateral holes of the catheters and catheter fittings, or the shapes of the catheters and fittings. Manufacturers invariably produce catheters and catheter fittings with holes having varying geometries and distances therebetween. Prior securement devices thus become dedicated to fit and secure only certain catheter fittings.